For example, in job descriptions, I often see the phrase, "Females are encouraged to apply" or "Females only need apply".
This sort of thing perpetuates the idea that one gender is better suited to a role than the other gender. However, I have no problem with this, I mean who would want a male looking after their children?

What I don't agree with is when people say this anime is for female audience and that anime is for male audience.
I've read a lot of the comments in the anime section, and I see a lot of this type of comment and it doesn't make sense to me.
Any gender can enjoy any type of story.

Anyway, I voted for: It's ideal in some aspects but not others

I think that a person should be able to enjoy doing something without having to be stereotyped as "masculine" or "feminine".

I wouldn't say that sex or age dictates much of anything. Your physical sex is entirely separate from your gender, but your physical sex determines, from a societal standpoint, the gender roles associated with you. A biological male could be fantastic at jobs considered best suited for women, and likewise, a biological woman could preform wonderfully at a job thought to be within the domain of men.

I, in fact, have the opposite opinion of you in a few important respects GayAsianBoy, if that is indeed your real name, though agree with your overall sentiment. I am of the opinion that these gender stereotypes are most effective when applied to marketing as it is a non-exclusionary categorization processes. Labeling an anime or manga as "Shoujou" or "Shounen" is an excellent example of this process at work. Such a label allows you as a consumer to have a greater understanding of the contents of a product though your implicit understanding of what the target audience "should" like. This is purely informational, and can only be beneficial in isolation from the all too often scathing perceptions of others.

Conversely, when people expect you to abide by a stereotype based on your sex or age, that's where we run into problems. I'm a 19 year old girl who enjoys plenty of "young to middle aged male oriented" media, but does that make me masculine? From a physical standpoint, of course not, and I'd argue that it doesn't from mental one either. Similarly, I wouldn't say the fact that I paint my nails or have pierced ears makes me objectively more feminine, though these are characteristics and actions are generally associated with those who operate within the confines of a feminine gender role.

Gender roles and their associated tastes and physical manifestations are, ultimately, abstractly defined and highly subjective. They were created as a product of the mind's desire to discover black and white answers to questions whose truths swim within a sea of gray. These roles are useful when marketing a product, as they ring true a disproportionate amount of the time, but it wrong to hold them as some kind of law or standard to which those who exhibit the physical traits associated with a demographic must adhere. When gender roles are held in such a regard, they become tools of exclusion and oppression. It is in these circumstances that people are mistreated, an example of which is being denied a professional position. Many women, myself included, would be poorly suited for a child care position due to a distaste for children. It would be wrong to assume that I or any of these many others are at all qualified simply because of our anatomy, just as it would be wrong to assume that many men aren't qualified.

I could go on all day on this topic, and perhaps I already have, but what it comes down to is that it is wrong to determine that a person should like a thing or act in a certain way because of factors which are outside of their control. Age and sex are the primary culprits here, but there are many others as well. Tenuous and societally based constructions such as the male female archetypes are useful only insofar as a base level evaluation of person, as they provide an often useful starting point for further interaction. Marketing only ever needs to go this far, so it is advantageous that it utilize these concepts. There is absolutely nothing wrong, however, with deviating from these perceived norms. I would hold one who discriminates based on such deviations to be childish, and would hope that they are not in a position of importance relative to myself or others. So in answer to your question GayAsianBoy - No, you ought not be though masculine or feminine based on your media choice, and it would be my advice to kindly disregard those who would say otherwise.

No. I think they're excessively limiting/constraining. People should be able to study/purchase/etc. what interests them without being criticized/ridiculed for doing something that's of the "wrong gender."

I wouldn't say that sex or age dictates much of anything. Your physical sex is entirely separate from your gender, but your physical sex determines, from a societal standpoint, the gender roles associated with you. A biological male could be fantastic at jobs considered best suited for women, and likewise, a biological woman could preform wonderfully at a job thought to be within the domain of men.

I, in fact, have the opposite opinion of you in a few important respects GayAsianBoy, if that is indeed your real name, though agree with your overall sentiment. I am of the opinion that these gender stereotypes are most effective when applied to marketing as it is a non-exclusionary categorization processes. Labeling an anime or manga as "Shoujou" or "Shounen" is an excellent example of this process at work. Such a label allows you as a consumer to have a greater understanding of the contents of a product though your implicit understanding of what the target audience "should" like. This is purely informational, and can only be beneficial in isolation from the all too often scathing perceptions of others.

Conversely, when people expect you to abide by a stereotype based on your sex or age, that's where we run into problems. I'm a 19 year old girl who enjoys plenty of "young to middle aged male oriented" media, but does that make me masculine? From a physical standpoint, of course not, and I'd argue that it doesn't from mental one either. Similarly, I wouldn't say the fact that I paint my nails or have pierced ears makes me objectively more feminine, though these are characteristics and actions are generally associated with those who operate within the confines of a feminine gender role.

Gender roles and their associated tastes and physical manifestations are, ultimately, abstractly defined and highly subjective. They were created as a product of the mind's desire to discover black and white answers to questions whose truths swim within a sea of gray. These roles are useful when marketing a product, as they ring true a disproportionate amount of the time, but it wrong to hold them as some kind of law or standard to which those who exhibit the physical traits associated with a demographic must adhere. When gender roles are held in such a regard, they become tools of exclusion and oppression. It is in these circumstances that people are mistreated, an example of which is being denied a professional position. Many women, myself included, would be poorly suited for a child care position due to a distaste for children. It would be wrong to assume that I or any of these many others are at all qualified simply because of our anatomy, just as it would be wrong to assume that many men aren't qualified.

I could go on all day on this topic, and perhaps I already have, but what it comes down to is that it is wrong to determine that a person should like a thing or act in a certain way because of factors which are outside of their control. Age and sex are the primary culprits here, but there are many others as well. Tenuous and societally based constructions such as the male female archetypes are useful only insofar as a base level evaluation of person, as they provide an often useful starting point for further interaction. Marketing only ever needs to go this far, so it is advantageous that it utilize these concepts. There is absolutely nothing wrong, however, with deviating from these perceived norms. I would hold one who discriminates based on such deviations to be childish, and would hope that they are not in a position of importance relative to myself or others. So in answer to your question GayAsianBoy - No, you ought not be though masculine or feminine based on your media choice, and it would be my advice to kindly disregard those who would say otherwise.

Thanks for your insight, Brookechan.

I think you put that in a better way than I did.
I really agree with everything you've said here, categorisation of certain media can be effective for marketing but when people take it as a law of some sort... it does present an issue.

For example, in job descriptions, I often see the phrase, "Females are encouraged to apply" or "Females only need apply".
This sort of thing perpetuates the idea that one gender is better suited to a role than the other gender. However, I have no problem with this, I mean who would want a male looking after their children?

I am not sure if a employer wanting to only a specific sex to apply for the job classifies as gender roles, but in regard to the babysitting comment and other occupations that some individuals consider "fit for a female" or a male, I understand what you are stating. I believe it is also a stereotype since I have encountered people, including the people I am related to, who assume that males are not good with taking care of children and feel that a female should do the task instead.

I am undecided, but my answer is leaning towards no because I do not see how following gender roles is beneficial to our species.

I think the division of labor in the household is important. Nowadays there are two many two parent households where both parents work overtime, obsessed with career progression at the cost of leaving all of the parenting to child care staff members, and to me that seems wrong. In my opinion if you don't want to raise children, then just don't have them, I don't understand this.

It is not the women are not in the house thing that is the problem, but rather that nobody is...

As mentioned before, gender roles should not exist. Neither should gender specific genres or clothing or anything at all. There should not be genres for girls or toys aimed at boys. Nor should there be the idea of gender specific jobs. We live in a society where people get jobs based on how much they want them and how good they are at it. At the same time I should be able to wear a skirt and still be a perfectly manly man - it's just that the crotch part of my trousers keeps ripping and buying pocketed skirts (kilts don't count because they're too expensive and I actually live in Scotland so I would be called out pretty quick) would solve all my problems with them. Target audience should be interest based - not gender. Same with things like jobs aspirations.

I would love to have more girls in my game programming course. We had one and she seems to have disappeared after the first day. Thing is that I'd prefer if society just didn't think about gender.

I don't think it's really ideal or not ideal, just depends on your society's history. It's because of how important figures that created our cultures imposed their own views of masculine and feminine on the people around them. And who wouldn't want to emulate cool people who contributed to their society's success? That's why gender roles exist, people like copying those they admire. Like leaders influencing parents, parents influencing kids, etc. Natural byproduct of humans acting human.

What I don't agree with is when people say this anime is for female audience and that anime is for male audience.
I've read a lot of the comments in the anime section, and I see a lot of this type of comment and it doesn't make sense to me.
Any gender can enjoy any type of story.

-cut-

I think that a person should be able to enjoy doing something without having to be stereotyped as "masculine" or "feminine".

I agree 100% with you on those. Our interest in anime is bigger than gender lines. I watch Shoujo shows mostly because I find the art is often* superior to "male targeted" audience shows. Even then, I recommend plenty of "male focused" shows to a female RL friend. To be honest, I never felt much stigma in it - the anime community is rather open minded and usually doesn't mind who watches what.

As for RL aspects of this thread. I like to think people have freedom. People can make their own decisions. That includes if they want to be subjugated ---- though I truly wish the culture would promote choice of possibility.

(*'s mark wiggle room - Using them to point it out and not get flamed again.)